6th/7th Jan 1942. Barbara Anslow's Diary

Watching over the verandah - our normal occupation - we saw the Food Control lot passing by on foot, among them Olive (my elder sister) prominent in her scarlet jacket the same as mind, and her fair long hair.   We all waved and called, and every one seemed to be taking everything as a huge joke.   They were put into the Nanking Hotel, not far away from us but on the other side of the road.

We spent alot of time during the day on the flat roof where it was sunny and much warmer than down in the cubicles and on verandah; but from 7th Jan. we weren't supposed to look over the roof.

Amah came again, she was an absolute brick.  I told her where Olive was so she visited her as well.  (I would get a verbal message to say Ah Ding was at the hotel door, and went downstairs hoping the guard would let us talk, and let her pass on to me whatever she had brought in her rattan basket... and hoping the guard wouldn't help himself to the things instead of letting me have them - that never happened though.)

On one visit Ah Ding brought my Collins A5 diaries, 1939, 1940 and 1941, all with a page to a day. ((So happy to get them, especially as I was able to use spaces during internment years.))